TOTALLY PSYCHIC, by Brigid Martin, Inkyard Press; Original edition, Aug. 15, 2023, Hardcover, $18.99 (ages 8-12)
A tween who has inherited her family’s ability to commune with the dead creates her own business in Totally Psychic, by Brigid Martin.
Paloma Ferrer is psychic. In fact, everyone in her family line has “the gift.” Now that Paloma has come into her powers, she dreams of becoming a famous medium to celebrities, just like her beloved grandma.
When Paloma’s parents move them from Miami to Los Angeles, she hatches a plan to get her career as a medium up and running:
-
-
- Host seances at her new school and stream on social media
- Build her profile and make a name for herself
- Avoid detection from her tattletale of a little sister
-
But when a reading gone awry leaves Paloma in a sticky situation with a new friend, she’ll need more than a crystal ball to find her way out of this mess. —Synopsis provided by Inkyard Press
Totally Psychic is a great option for kids who enjoy a little bit of the supernatural with a dash of danger thrown in for good measure. There’s nothing to dark or sinister, but enough to give middle readers a taste of spooky.
At the center of the story is Paloma, who can not only see ghosts but talk to them as well. It’s a pretty cool gift, and one that she fully embraces, if only her mom would get on board. Paloma and her mom seem to butt heads at every turn. And Paloma feels like she can do nothing right in her mom’s eyes. But that’s not going to stop Paloma from realizing her true potential — even if she has to break some rules to do it.
Paloma is a bold main character who is clever and driven. She’s the type of character that you want to root for, even when you know she’s going down the wrong path. Her family of supporting characters is strong, and Paloma’s interactions with the ghosts really take things up a level.
Totally Psychic is a fast-moving middle-grade novel (I read it in one afternoon) that a large cross-section of readers will enjoy.
Copyright © 2023 Cracking the Cover. Unless otherwise noted, all books — digital and physical — have been provided by publishers in exchange for honest and unbiased reviews. All thoughts and opinions are those of the reviewer.
